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Düsseldorf - The United States claimed a 2-1 victory over Sweden at the World Team Cup on Monday, despite Sam Querrey failing to serve out victory against Robin Soderling.
John Isner had put the United States ahead by sweeping aside Christian Lindell 6-4, 6-1, struggling through the opening set but then dominating the second against an opponent playing only his second ATP tournament.
Querrey then took the United States to the edge of victory as he served for the match at 5-4 in the second set, but Soderling rallied to win 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (3).
The United States won the doubles to clinch the tie as Isner and Mardy Fish beat Simon Aspelin and Robert Lindstedt 4-6, 7-6 (5), 10-4.
Under gray skies, Isner broke for 2-1 against the unheralded Lindell but then had to fight off a break point in the next game before securing the first set. In the second set, the American again broke for 2-1 and after holding off two break points to hold for 3-1 he went on to claim a comfortable victory.
"It's pretty slow but it makes you hit a lot of balls so it's good," said Isner of the heavy clay surface, after playing much of his match in light rain. "The weather's a little cold right now but hopefully it'll warm up.
"I was eager to get out on the court and just play my game. I love it here. It's awesome, perfect prep for the French (Open)."
Soderling had won all of his previous four matches against Querrey and went into the match boasting a 9-1 record in Duesseldorf, bud found himself in trouble trailing 5-4 in the second set.
However, he took the next three games to level the match and in the deciding set, three consecutive breaks left Soderling leading 4-2. The Swede then also failed to serve out the match at 5-4. In a tense finale, Querrey failed to take advantage of a break point to lead 6-5 and then surrendered the tiebreaker.
Germany earned a 3-0 win over Serbia. Florian Mayer beat Viktor Troicki 6-2, 6-2 to add to Philipp Kohlschreiber's Sunday win over Janko Tipsarevic, and in the doubles Christopher Kas and Philipp Petzschner defeated Tipsarevic and Nenad Zimonjic 5-7, 6-3, 10-7.
Russia, which won both singles matches against Spain on Sunday, lost the doubles as Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez defeated Victor Baluda and Dmitry Tursunov 6-4, 6-2.
Results at the ATP World Team Cup:
Blue Group
Germany def. Serbia 3-0
Monday
Philipp Kohlschreiber, Germany, def. Janko Tipsarevic, Serbia, 6-4, 7-6 (5).
Christopher Kas and Philipp Petzschner, Germany, def. Janko Tipsarevic and Nenad Zimonjic, Serbia, 5-7, 6-3, 10-7.
Sunday
Florian Mayer, Germany, def. Viktor Troicki, Serbia, 6-2, 6-2.
Russia def. Spain 2-1
Monday
Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez, Spain, def. Victor Baluda and Dmitry Tursunov, Russia, 6-4, 6-2.
Sunday
Mikhail Youzhny, Russia, def. Marcel Granollers, Spain, 6-3, 6-4.
Igor Andreev, Russia, def. Daniel Gimeno-Traver, Spain, 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (6).
Red Group
United States def. Sweden 2-1
Monday
John Isner, United States, def. Christian Lindell, Sweden, 6-4, 6-1.
Robin Soderling, Sweden, def. Sam Querrey, United States, 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (3).
Mardy Fish and John Isner, United States, def. Simon Aspelin and Robert Lindstedt, Sweden, 4-6, 7-6 (5), 10-4.
